Spoon with a base



April 8, 1952 c, SANFORD 2,592,192

SPOON WITH A BASE Filed Feb. 1'7, 1950 Patented Apr. 8, 1952 UNITED STATS TENT OFFICE SPOON WITH A BASE Charles H. Sanford, New York, N. Y.

Application February 1'7, 1950, Serial No. 144,615

1 Claim.

This invention relates to spoons for use especially, though not exclusively, by handicapped adults and small children.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a spoon which is especially useful in the care of the sick and for persons generally who experience difiiculty in the correct use of conventional spoons.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a spoon which by the arrangement of its handle is especially easy and convenient to manipulate.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a spoon which does not permit nearly as much spilling of its contents as a conventional spoon, yet is as freely accessible to the users mouth.

It is another object of thepresent invention to provide a spoon which is to a considerable extent tip-proof when placed on a table or other support, thereby to render the spoon particularly useful as a medicine spoon for bedridden or invalid patients who are able to administer to themselves.

It is another object of the present invention to enlarge and form an end portion of the scoop of a spoon into a cup and to make provisions for standing the spoon with its cup-shaped scoop portion upright on a table or other support, thereby to render the spoon further useful as a medicine spoon in measuring and administering prescribed doses of liquid medicines.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a spoon of the foregoing kind of which the cup portion of the scoop will in its upright position hold substantially the same amount of liquid as the scoop will hold when tilted into horizontal disposition, thereby to facilitate the correct measurement and administration of a spoonful of liquid, such as medicine, for instance.

It is a further object of the present invention to form at least the cup portion of the scoop of a spoon of this kind of transparent or translucent material, and to provide the cup portion with readily discernible graduations denoting volumetric measures, thereby to facilitate the correct measurement and administration of liquids, such as medicines, for instance, in any desired amounts. 7

It is another general object of' the present invention to provide a spoon which, by its construction, compels a child, and thereby teaches it, to use the spoon in the well accepted manner of adults.

It is also among the objects of the present invention to provide a spoon of the above characteristics which is extremely simple in construction, compares favorably with a conventional spoon of comparable capacity insofar as its bulk is concerned, and readily lends itself to efficient and inexpensive mass production.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more fully understood from the following description considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.

In the drawingsi Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a spoon embodying the present invention;

Figs. 2 and 3 are side views of the same spoon when standing and lying, respectively, on a support; and

Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral I0 designates a spoon having a scoop or bowl l2 and a handle III which, in the present instance, projects from the scoop l2 laterally of its longitudinal axis a:-a: (Fig. 2). The scoop l2 and handle l4 are preferably formed integrally from any suitable material, such as precious Or non-precious metal, for instance. In accordance with the present invention, there is provided on the scoop l2, and preferably formed integrally therewith, a partial cover l8 which may be of the same cross-sectional contour as the scoop or bowl l2, and forms with the adjacent portion of the latter a cup H. The cup I! leaves a substantial forward end l8 of the scoop I2 readily accessible to the users mouth.

The uncovered forward end l8 of the scoop l2 will compel a person to use the spoon in the wellaccepted manner of adults. Hence, it is one of the many advantages of the instant spoon that it may be used for teaching children the correct and accepted manner of eating with a spoon, and preventing them from becoming accustomed to such spectacular and offensive habits as eating from the wrong side of the spoon or opening their mouths wide in an effort to admit the entire scoop of the spoon. By virtue of its partially covered construction, the scoop of the instant spoon is also to a considerable extent spill-proof,

. and is for this reason further advantageous for children whose hand manipulations are still awkward, as well as for feeble or other handicapped adults who do not have complete control over their hand manipulations.

Further in accordance with the present iZlVell-f tion, the scoop ii of the instant spoon is provided at the bottom 20 of the cup I! with a preferably integral base 22 by means of which the scoop may be stood upright on a table or any other support in the fashion indicated in Fig. 2, or may be supported in considerably tip-proof fashion on a table or other support when lying thereon in the manner indicated in Fig. 3. The provision of the base 22 on the scoop l2 of the instant spoon renders the latter well suited as a medicine spoon. Thus, by standing or laying the spoon on a table or other support in substantially tip-proof fashion (Figs. 2 and 3), the instant spoon may safely hold liquid medicine near a bed-ridden or in-- valid patient who is able to self-administer the medicine when needed.

The cover 16 on the scoop I2 of. the instant spoon is, of course, of additional advantage in the use of the latter as a medicine spoon by a bed-ridden or feeble patient who is called upon to administer to himself or herself.

The provision. of the cup. I] on.- the scoop L2 of the instant spoon. is of. particular advantage in the use of the latter as. a medicine spoon, in that the cup l'i,when heldupright as isFig- 2,. greatly facilitates the dispensing. and measuring. of liquid medicine thereinto. This. is. particularly true if, as. in the. present instance, the cup ll holds. in its upright disposition (Fig- 2). the same amount of liquid as. the scoop [2. will hold in substantially horizontal disposition (Fig. 3). Regardless of whether the cup I? of the instant spoon holds as much or less liquid than the scoop [2, the provision of the base 22 secures the additional. advantage of safely supporting the liquid-herding cup. l! in. upright and. hence, substantially spillproof disposition. on a table or other support until the contents of the spoon is administered to a. patient or self-administered. by the latter.. If desired, the instant spoon, or at least the cup I! thereof, may be made of any suitable transparent or translucentmaterial so as to enable the user to observe the level of'a liquid in. theupright cup and thus. measure fairly accurately any amounts of liquid therein. Even more accurate measurement of any prescribed amount of liquid, medicine, for instance, in the cup ll may readily be obtained. by providing the transparent or translucent cup with readily discernible graduations denoting volumetric measures; Further, regardliess of any of the above mentioned specific uses,

or other self-evident uses, to which the instant spoon may be put, the latter is, by the specific arrangement of the handle [4' on the side'thereof, of further advantage in that the spoon may be manipulated with especial ease, and with a mini mum ofarmor wrist motion by the user. Moreover; by its slanting disposition on the side of the cup IT, the handle l4 assists the base 22' in se surelysupporting the cup- IT in upright position on a table or other support (Fig. 2).

It is obvious from. the foregoing description thatthe instant-spoon is highly advantageous in several respects. Thus, the spoon is, byvirtue of its cover It, substantially spill-proof and is in that respect: advantageous for children as well as for feeble adults; The partially covered scoop of the instant spoon further compels, and thereby teaches, a child to acquire the correct and accepted. manner of'eating with a spoon. The provision of the base. 22; on. the instant spoon further renders the latter particularly suited as a medicine spoon, especially for self-administration of medicine by a patient, in that the instant spoon is substantially tip-proof when lying on a table or similar support within reach of the patient. The provision of the cup I! on the instant spoon further facilitates the dispensing and measuring of the prescribed amount of liquid medicine therein. The additional provision of the base 22 permits the secure and substantially spill-proof support of the medicine-holding cup I! in upright position on a table or other suitable support until the medicine is being administered to a patientor self-administered by the latter. Last, but by no means least, the specific arrangement of the handle 14 on the side of the scoop I 2 of the instant spoon greatly simplifies the manipulation of the latter, and also assists the base 22 in the. secure support of the cup I! in upright disposition on a table or other support. While the instant spoon of. the. above characteristics adapts itself to the beforementioned advantageous uses, it is, nevertheless of extremely simple constructionand does not have much bulk beyond that of a conventional spoon of comparable capacity. Also the cleaning of the. instant spoon is as facile as that of' a. conventional spoon, this despite the cover It over the scoop l2 which leaves the forward end. I8 of the lattersufli'ciently exposed to permit of ready access to the cup ll for cleaning purposes.

While I have shown and described the preferred. embodiment of. my invention, it will. be understood that various changes may be made in the present invention without departing from the underlying idea or principles of the, invention within the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

A spoon comprising a bowl, a cover for the top of said bowl extending from the rear end thereof and terminating. rearwardly of the forward end of the bowl for closing the rear top part of the bowl and leaving an open top portion at the forward part of. the bowl for filling the spoon and dispensing the contents thereof into the mouth of the user, and. a side handle secured. to the spoon at a point between said rear and forward ends of the bowl and extending laterally from the side of the spoon and rearwardly inclined toward said rear end of. the spoon. whereby to facilitate use of the spoon. by a young child, the. rear end of the. spoon. and the. outer end oi said. handle lying in. substantially the. same plane when the spoon is. positioned vertically with said rear end lowermost, said rear end. having a. part which is sufliciently wide to provide withthe. outer endv of the handle a base for the spoonto support the latter in said vertical position thereof.

CHARLES H- SANFORD REFERENCES CITED The following references are- 0t record in the file ofi this. patent: 

